You are on page 1of 55

Module 3

ENGINE PERFORMANCE
Performance and quality validation
• Engineering Evaluation test : acquiring data.
• Preliminary flight rating test(PFRT): test,
demonstrate and analyse.
• Qualification test (QT): suitability for
production
• Acceptance test (AT): subset of QT
Engineering evaluation tests
• Customer air bleed
• Engine heat rejection and oil cooling
– Oil flow Interruption test: only air
– Engine electrical power failure : MIL-E-5007 D
– Engine vibration survey : spectrogram 5 – 10000Hz
– Starting torque and speed test
– Maintenance demonstration: for 300hrs
Preliminary Flight Rating Test (PFRT)
• Endurance test
• Number of cycles
• Rpm
• Thrust
• Engine component test :MIL-STD-810
• Altitude test –distortion, wind milling , restart.
• Engine pressure test: engine subjected to 2
times the max compressor discharge pressure.
Preliminary Flight Rating Test (PFRT)
• Rotor structural integrity test: Rotor speed
115% of max, for 5 min
• Engine static load test: 1.5 times
• Gyroscopic test: 0.5 to 3.5 rad/s
• Vibration test
• Electromagnetic Interference and
Susceptibility test: MIL STD- 462.
Structural integrity
• Engine pressure vessel or case design: should
withstand 2 times its max operating pressure
without rupture.
Containment and rotor structural integrity

• Containment: fan, compressor or turbine


blade failure at max. rotor speed.
• Rotor integrity: 115% of max allowable steady
state at max gas temp. for 5 min.
• Disk burst speed: should be less than 112% of
maximum allowable steady state speed.
• Vibration
Environmental ingestion Capability
• Bird ingestion – MIL-E-5007D
• Foreign object damage (FOD)
• Ice ingestion
• Sand ingestion
• Atmospheric liquid water ingestion
Qualification test
• Endurance test: 150 hr
• Environmental ingestion
• Life assessment test
• Reliability
• Repair procedures and wear limits
• Accelerated aging on non-metallic parts:
• Min temp: 710C for 168 hours.
Qualification test
• Humidity
• Fungus
• Corrosion susceptibility: NaCl
• Nuclear hardening
• Infrared radiation test
Reliability
• Ability to perform a required function under
stated conditions for a stated period of time.
• Time oriented performance.
Reliability figures of Merit
• Mean time between failures
= total engine hours / number of failures
• Failure rate = no. of failure per unit time.
• Mean time to failure
• Mean life
• Mean time to first failure
• Mean time between Maintenance
• Longevity – wear out time
• Availability – operating time
• % Life
• Repairs/X hrs
Engine failure
Inability to obtain or sustain thrust at any of the
required levels as a result of an engine
component failure.
Engine testing with simulation of air Inlet
Distortion
– Reduction of compressor stall margin
– Instability of combustion
– Lower combustion efficiency
– Local over heating of engine
• Inlet distortion screen method
• Ducted nozzle distortion method
Inlet distortion screen method
Inlet distortion screen method

Reynolds number, R= ρvc/μ


ρ =density
v= velocity
c= chord length
μ = viscosity
Ducted nozzle distortion method

• Used to closely simulate the actual air flow


distortion pattern occurring at engine inlet at
various flight conditions.
• Provides improved simulation of inlet flow
distortion.
• It is an inexpensive method of simulation.
• Internal contour of the inlet duct is duplicated in
the ducted nozzle technique.
• Simulation of the disturbances which originate
ahead of the inlet of the duct is produced by
adjustable vanes.
• Wide range of distortion patterns are possible.
Free jet test methods
• Small additional amount of external air flow
for cooling purpose is tested.
• Disturbances originating at the supersonic jet
boundary should not propagate into the
engine.
• 50% or more of the supersonic nozzle flow
must be bypassed around the engine.
• Air approaches the engine inlet at low static
pressure.
Method of initiating surge (Displacement of
equilibrium working line)
• HP compressor - fuel spiking
• LP compressor – reduced capacity turbine.
Bleed extraction at higher power and then
decelerating until it surges.
Air breathing Engine test facilities
Air breathing Engine test facilities
•  Mach 3.8 at altitudes below 100,000 feet. 
•  Test cell, T-3, Mach 4.0 at altitudes below
70,000 feet and Mach 2.5 at sea level
conditions. 
• 1,500 pounds of air per second.
Air breathing Engine test facilities
•  PW4000 series engines and Rolls-Royce Trent
800 used to power the Boeing 777
• Rolls-Royce Trent 900 and Engine Alliance
GP7200 used to power the Airbus A380. 
• Pratt & Whitney F119 engine used to power
the F-22A Raptor.
• Pratt & Whitney F135 engine used to power
the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. 
Air breathing Engine test facilities
•  SL-2 and SL-3 test bed used to test 50,000
pound thrust engines at ram speeds up to
Mach 1.2 and temperatures ranging from
minus 20 degrees to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Engine test bed
Engine test bed

• A test bed is a platform for experimentation of


large development projects. Test beds allow
for rigorous, transparent, and replicable
testing of scientific theories, computational
tools, and new technologies.
Types of engine test bed
• Out door sea level thrust test bed
• Indoor sea level thrust test bed
• Indoor sea level shaft power bed
• Sea level test cell with ram air
Out door sea level thrust test bed
Out door sea level thrust test bed
• An open air stand, supporting engine and
providing thrust measurements.
• The effects of cross wind on entry conditions
are negated by a large mesh screen fitted
around the engine inlet.
Indoor sea level thrust test bed
Indoor sea level thrust test bed
• Available in all weather conditions.
• Nozzle exhaust enters a detuner and provides
attenuation.
• Measured thrust gets affected by the static
pressure force acting on the engine.
• The thrust and air flow measurements are
corrupted by the flow field generated by the
sidewalls.
Indoor sea level shaft power bed
Indoor sea level shaft power bed

• Used for turboprop or turbo shaft engine.


• Output power is measured directly.
• The exhaust flow has low velocity.
• The exhaust flow is ducted directly to
atmosphere with no detuner requirements.
Altitude Test Facility(ATF)
• Produces the inlet conditions resulting from
altitude and flight Mach number.
• Continuous air flow at reduced pressure and
temperature.
• Full range of ambient and flight conditions can
be tested at one geographical location.
• High availability, independent of weather
condition.
• Auxiliary ejectors are used to reduce the
pressure.
• Small operating pressure ratio.
Altitude test cell
• Used for testing afterburners, combustors,
compressors, fuel control system, exhaust
nozzles, heat exchangers and inlets.
Altitude test cell
• Used to determine
• Engine operating envelopes
• Establishment of transient performance
• High and low temperature starting and operation
• Water ingestion test
• Engine icing test
• Inlet pressure distortion test
Propulsion testing in wind tunnels
• Wind tunnels run at only one altitude pressure
level, that on which the wind tunnel is built.
• A variable density tunnel is necessary for
complete altitude simulation.
Propulsion testing in wind tunnels
Flying test bed
• Used for prototype development.
• Better simulation of functional effects such as dead
loads and inlet distortion.
• No direct measurements of thrust and mass flow.
– Thrust is calculated in Altitude Test facility (ATF).
• Nozzle entry total pressure and temperature.
• Nozzle mass flow, air inlet flow.
• Fuel flow.
• Net thrust = total exit thrust – inlet momentum.
Ground testing of engine installed in Aircraft
• Static installed thrust.
Instruments to control and indicate engine operation.
• Power lever.
• Fuel shutoff valve
• EPR gage
• % rpm gage
• EGT gage
• Fuel flow gage
• Oil pressure and temperature gage
• Torque meter gage
• Starter switch
• Engine master switch
• Fuel booster pump switch, pressure gage
• Ignition switch
Jet Thrust Measurement in Flight
Methods of In Flight Thrust Measurement
• Jet flow measurement- Engine Pressure Ratio(EPR)
• Engine manufacturers data – least accurate
• Wind tunnel calibration
• Climb performance method
Jet flow measurement
Jet flow measurement
• Common method for all kinds of jet engines.
• Engine pressure ratio (EPR) is used to measure gross
thrust.
• Ground static calibration to find thrust coefficient (Cf)
as a function of EPR.
• Cf is plotted as a function of EPR.
• For higher values of EPR, the graph is extrapolated.
Jet flow measurement - disadvantages
• The extrapolation cause error in the method.
• It does not account for the thrust changes due
to afterburner operation.
• Effect of altitude on Cf.
Engine manufacturers data
• Engine manufacturers thrust curves and Engine
calibration data are used for in-flight thrust
determination.
• It does not account for installed thrust losses.
• Least accurate method.
Wind tunnel calibration
• Accurate gross and net thrust calibration.
• Wind tunnel with operational inlet and nozzles
is used to measure the gross and net thrust.
• Same thrust characteristics must be
maintained for the engine in fight and engine
in wind tunnel.
• Preferred to use same engine.
• Very expensive method.
• Used for testing military aircraft.
Climb performance method
• Extension of Jet flow measurement.
• Cf value is calculated for best climb rate at
different altitudes.
• Climb air speed is kept constant to have
same inlet drag.
• Rate of climb is measured and hence net
thrust is compared.
Types of Test Bed Standard
• Gold standard test bed
• Silver standard test bed
• Bronze standard test bed
• Functional test bed
Gold standard test bed

• Datum for cross calibration of all test beds.


• Calibration performed directly or via
calibration of an intermediate silver standard
test bed.
Silver standard test bed

• Directly cross calibrated against the gold


standard test bed.
Bronze standard test bed

• Calibrated against a silver test bed.


• Performance testing.
• Not used for calibrating other test beds.
Functional test bed

• Endurance testing.
• Demonstrating functionality of production
engine.
• Not for performance testing.
Engine station numbering and
nomenclature
• Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) 755 A
• Internationally recognised standard for gas turbine
engine station numbering and nomenclature.
• Developed to improve efficiency and quality control
when data passed between companies.
Engine log sheet
• Used to record data such as
a. Engine model and serial number.
b. Serial number of component.
c. Grade and specific gravity of fuel.
d. Grade or specification of oil.
e. Test cell depression (pressure drop due to test cell inlet restriction)
f. Total time of test cell run.
g. Reason for unscheduled shutdown.
h. Repair made to engine during test.
i. Reason for engine rejection.
j. Oil consumption.
k. Jet nozzle area.

• Compared with manufacturer guaranteed performance.

You might also like